What Is Actually Happening
Since May 2020, orcas near the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal have been deliberately targeting boats — specifically their rudders. They approach, spin the rudder by biting or pushing it, disable or damage it, and leave. Over 700 interactions have been documented. Four boats have been sunk. No humans have been harmed. The behavior appears to be spreading socially through pods.
White Gladis: The Suspected Origin
Researchers have identified an orca nicknamed White Gladis — identifiable by distinctive scar patterns and a bent dorsal fin — as appearing frequently in early incidents. White Gladis appears to have a wound consistent with a boat strike or fishing entanglement. The working hypothesis: she had a traumatic interaction with a boat and began targeting rudders in response. Other orcas observed and learned. Orcas are among the most cognitively sophisticated animals on Earth, with well-documented social learning capabilities.
What Scientists Think
The scientific consensus is that the orcas are playing, not attacking. Orcas engage in complex play throughout their lifespans, and rudder-spinning has characteristics consistent with play behavior — repetitive, apparently enjoyable, not directed at causing human harm. Zero human injuries across 700+ interactions supports this. However, play or not, they have sunk four boats.
Why This Is Unprecedented
What is genuinely unprecedented is the organized, socially transmitted nature of the behavior. Multiple distinct orca groups in different regions are now exhibiting the same specific behavior. This suggests cultural transmission — knowledge spreading through social learning across pods — previously documented for orca hunting techniques but never for boat interaction. The orcas appear to have developed and shared a new cultural practice.
The Ongoing Situation
As of 2024, interactions continue. Spain has issued maritime advisories. Multiple boats have been towed to port with disabled rudders. The orcas appear consistently focused on the mechanical component of the vessel rather than on any human aboard. Several captains have described the orcas as appearing to assess the situation carefully before beginning. The impression of deliberate, thoughtful behavior is consistent and difficult to dismiss.